


His Fire

by sassassassin



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Smut, Starts angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 07:14:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6274867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassassassin/pseuds/sassassassin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"How do you think I felt when you almost died in my arms? I've seen you die once, Lucy, and I thought it was the hardest thing I would ever witness. But I was wrong! I was very wrong…" </p><p>In which Natsu refuses to speak to Lucy after she almost dies in his arms, but she is determined to confront him about it. [Corrected & improved]</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Fire

**Author's Note:**

> I present to you my first Fairy Tail story, in the form of a very long one shot.  
> Leave a comment, they're greatly appreciated!

 

_-: :-_

* * *

**His Fire**

* * *

**-: :-**

Blood trickling down from her mouth, Lucy simply stared at the dragon slayer, a small smile playing at her lips, her breathing labored, and her fingers trembling.

"No, no, no, no…"

Natsu suddenly dropped on his knees beside her before the enemy could even hit the ground, his skin almost black from Natsu's fiery rage.

"Lucy, oh no," he stammered, his hands in front of him. He didn't know what to do with them, how to stop the life from leaving her body. They were only made for _destruction_ , he did not have the power to heal her, and he was afraid that if he touched her, he would only make things worse.

"Natsu," she whimpered, a tear falling from her eye. She had stopped smiling when she saw the expression on her teammate's face. It was a different look from from the one showing his usual boyish grin and lively eyes.

"Don't talk Luce, please don't talk," his voice quavered with emotion. He cradled her face in his hands, trying to imprint her beautiful traits in his memory. He almost wanted to turn away, he did not like to see her like this, she wasn't the Lucy he knew and adored.

"Natsu, it hurts," she let out in a small whisper, as if she didn't want him to hear, "it hurts, and I'm cold, so cold…"

He almost wanted to scream at her to stop saying that, that she was going to be fine, that the sword embedded in her lower abdomen was going to be removed and the hole sealed, as if nothing happened. In the mist of his panic and confusion, he vaguely remembered Wendy telling him not to remove anything that pierced through his skin the last time he yanked a knife out of his body, as it would increase the blood flow to the area and make him bleed out faster.

"Wendy," he whispered in realization, staring at the spot where the sword was in contact with her body. "Lucy, please hang on. This is going to be painful."

He grabbed the end of the sword, slightly moving it in the process, causing Lucy to groan in pain. _This is good_ , he thought to himself, _she's not dead, she's not going to die, she's here with me_ , he repeated, like a mantra. He removed his scarf with his other hand, putting it between her lips. "This is going to hurt."

Lucy looked at him, a look of understanding passing through her eyes. She bit on the scarf, her hands tightly clinched into fists, and her nails digging into the palms of her hands. When Natsu started to pull at the sword, the bloodcurdling scream that left her lips almost stopped him, but despite the tears that were now falling freely from his eyes, he kept going, holding her body down to the ground with his other hand. He almost panicked when he noticed that more blood was leaving her mouth and coating his scarf, but the sword completely came out of her body before he could think any further. Repulsed, he threw it as far as he could from them, and pressed hard on the gaping wound. It was bleeding profusely, and Lucy was openly crying, his bloodstained scarf simply lying there, covering her mouth and collecting her tears.

Biting back a curse, he tore her top, getting a good look at the extent and the gravity of the wound. The sword had been deeply embedded within her after it was thrown by the now dead guy when she had seriously injured him. He didn't expect her to cause much damage, and that was the first mistake he made when he decided to go against their guild.

Pressing once again on the wound, his hand lit up with fire, and the disgusting smell of burning flesh arose in the air, unpleasantly tickling his overly sensitive nose. Lucy's screams started again, wrapping painfully around Natsu's heart, before they suddenly stopped without warning. This alarmed Natsu, who looked at her face, fearing that he might have ended her life, but the rise and fall of her chest indicated that she had just passed-out from the pain. When her wound was completely burnt and closed up, he stopped his ministrations and was relieved that the sword didn't pass through. He did not want to make her go through the pain another time by closing the other side of it.

Natsu knew that he did not have much time on his hands, and that he needed to take her to a real healer to help her. He gently picked her up in his arms, staring down at her pale and feverish expression, and his scarf hanging around her neck. His own face was a mess as well, covered with freshly shed tears and traces of her blood.

He started running, until he reached the rest of the group, where Wendy could take care of Lucy. _Surely she could_ , he told himself. He could not allow her to die on him.

-: :-

Hours later, Natsu and various members of Fairy Tail were standing in front of Lucy's sleeping form, while Wendy and Porlyusica were checking her wounds. All traces of worry that were previously etched on their faces had disappeared, leaving place for relief. At least, Lucy was stable, and instead of the burnt skin and the gaping wound on her lower abdomen, there was a long scar that would probably never fully heal. But Natsu didn't mind, it was a reminder that he was not able to save her once again.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked.

"She's okay for now, but we can't be sure she's out of the waters before she wakes up," replied Porlyusica. "Luckily, you stopped her from losing too much blood, which was a smart move from an idiot like you."

Despite the insult, Natsu knew that she was relieved and thankful that he was able to think fast, and save Lucy's life, even if he had to watch her suffer in agony at his hands.

Wendy looked at him, determination on her face, and tears in her eyes, "she's going to wake up, Lucy is strong!"

In his heart, Natsu was hopeful, and fully believed what Wendy was telling him. Lucy was a mage of Fairy Tail, and Fairy Tail members did not give up so easily. After all, she had endured everything that had come her way up to this point, coming up at the top every time, and stronger than ever. The rising of her chest was just a reminder that she was still there with them, and Natsu would be damned if he let her leave them so easily.

"You should all leave now," ordered Porlyusica, "Lucy has to rest, and she won't be able to if all of you are lurking around her like this," she said, pointedly looking at the guild members.

"But-"

Erza put a hand on Natsu's shoulder, giving him a serious but understanding look. "Listen to her Natsu, Lucy needs to heal, you will able to see her tomorrow." Natsu acquiesced reluctantly, clutching his bloodied scarf in his hands. He turned around and left the room without any word, and without looking at his companions. This worried them, as no one had ever seen Natsu react this way. He was always the hopeful and optimistic one, lighting up the room with his smile, but all they could see right now was the shell of a guilt-ridden man who could barely look at his injured teammate and best friend without turning his gaze away. Even Gray, who took pleasure in picking fights with him and teasing him, looked at him with worry.

"He'll be okay Gray-sama," said the blue haired woman by his side. "Juvia knows that he just feels bad that he couldn't save her in time."

"I hope you are right Juvia," he mumbled, leaving the room with the others.

-: :-

For the following days, Lucy's room had seen many fellow guild members visiting her, and yet, the celestial mage had not opened her eyes. Visitors sometimes would swear they've seen her fingers twitch when they entered the room, as if they were trying to reach for something or someone, but in vain. Everyone was waiting impatiently for her to wake up, and warm their hearts once again with her smile and her big brown eyes.

"Lucy," muttered Levy, holding her friend's hand, "I don't know if you can hear me, but we all worry about you and miss you. You have to come back to us."

Gajeel, forever the stoic man, stood behind the blue haired woman with his arms crossed, staring down at the interaction with well-hidden tenderness behind his gaze. The script mage turned her head, staring at him with pleading eyes that he knew he could not resist even if he tried.

"Yeah bunny girl," he growled, "Levy's been impossible without her reading companion. You need to get her off my back."

Levy smiled in gratitude. It was Gajeel's strange way of showing his softer side, and that he cared about his fellow guild mates.

"How long do you think it's going to take her to wake up?"

"I don't know," he replied, "but she's a strong girl. You don't need to worry about her too much. She'll be back in time."

"It's not that," she said pensively, "I fully believe in Lucy, and I know she will survive this. It's Natsu I'm worried about. He hasn't been back at the guild since she was put to bed, and he hasn't visited her, not even once! It's so unlike the caring Natsu we all know."

"He's stubborn," said Gajeel, "and he's finally realizing some things. He needs some time alone to come to terms with them."

Levy quirked an eyebrow at him, wondering what he was talking about. "What things?"

Gajeel simply chuckled, staring down at Lucy's face. Once she woke up, he was sure that even she would not be able to tame the fire in the idiot dragon's heart.

-: :-

Natsu has not left Lucy's place in almost a week, lying in her bed and staring at the ceiling, wishing that she was beside him, looking at him angrily before kicking him out of the bed. Even Happy has gotten into the habit of curling up on the bed beside him on Lucy's usual sleeping spot. Her scent was lingering in the room, stronger than ever between covers.

The reason why Natsu did not go visit his teammate was because he was plagued by guilt: he had promised her that he would protect her no matter what, and yet, she was comatose and gravely injured, simply because of his carelessness. He got too caught up in the battle, forgetting that his priority was not to kick ass, but to protect Lucy. He could already imagine her, scolding him and telling him that she was strong enough to protect herself, but he could not simply let her do it on her own. It was a responsibility he took upon himself when he brought her into the guild all those years ago.

Happy has tried to force him to leave her bed, to visit her and give her the support she needed, but Natsu knew that she was getting all the support in the world with the guild members by her side. She did not need the support of a _useless_ teammate. The dragon slayer did not deserve her appreciation.

Happy had finally given up when Natsu looked at him with glistening and pleading eyes, making him realize in how much pain his owner was. He then proceeded to leave the apartment and visit her by himself, promising to bring him any news concerning her state.

Natsu knew that he was acting stubbornly and childlike, when he should be by his best friend's side in case anything happened. But he refused to think that the outcome of her current state would be anything but positive, so he chose to chase these thoughts away. Playing with his scarf, he noted that the scent of her blood still lingered in it. He was unable to completely wash it away, and a few traces that were barely visible were still there, acting as a painful reminder that she almost died in his arms.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Happy barged into the room through the open window, screaming excitedly. Natsu must have been deep in his thoughts if he had not picked up his small companion's scent. When his eyes focused on the blue cat, he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"-there!"

"What are you saying Happy?"

Happy simply continued flying around him. "It's Lucy! She's awake!"

-: :-

The resonating whistling sound in Lucy's ear and the blinding light inside the room almost made her want to go back to sleep. Putting a hand in front of her face to block out the light, she blinked slowly, adjusting to the world around her. She was in a white room, sleeping on an oddly comfortable bed, and her mouth way dry. There was a weak but noticeable throbbing below her navel. When she tried to sit up on the bed, the ache in her back made her wince, but she nonetheless completed the action, looking around her with wonder. She was wearing a white gown that she pulled up with difficulty, and when she looked down at the main source of her discomfort, she saw that her whole lower abdomen was bandaged.

When she regained full awareness of the situation, memories of the battle came back to her. She remembered the sword that pierced her body before she could even realize what was happening. She remembered the smell of smoke, and a searing pain, before everything went black and she woke up in this room. Natsu must have brought her here, and Wendy must have tended to her wounds.

She wanted to call someone, but she could not muster the strength to do it, so she simply laid back and took advantage of the few moments of peace she still had.

A few moments later, the door slowly opened, and a blue haired script mage entered the room, carrying a book with her that she instantly dropped when Lucy sat up on the bed to greet her. Levy's hands were instantly over her mouth, and tears started streaming down her face, before she launched herself on Lucy, crying lavishly.

"Lucy!" she hiccuped. "Oh dear God, I'm so glad you're awake! You don't know the fright you gave everyone at the guild!"

"I'm okay Levy," she reassured her friend who released herself from the tight embrace, "please don't cry."

"We were so worried about you, you took a very hard blow!"

Lucy nodded, the details still a bit hazy, "how long have I been out?"

"A week," said Levy.

"A week? I was out all that time? But I have to pay my rent!"

Lucy tried to get up from her bed, before being stopped by her friend, who disapprovingly stared at her. "Lucy, you need to realize the extent of your injury. You can't leave the bed yet, you need to take better care of yourself. Your rent can wait, I'm sure the landlady will understand."

"I'm fine," insisted the blonde woman, "my injury doesn't even hurt."

"Are you sure about that?" replied Levy, before poking her side, causing the celestial mage to whine in pain and shift away. "That's what I thought. You stay here, I'm going to call Porlyusica."

As soon as Levy left, the door opened again, and a blue cat flew in. When Lucy gave him a small smile, he started to wail, and jumped on her, nuzzling her chest and crying profusely.

"Lushi! I missed you so much! I thought you left us!"

"I'm not leaving you Happy," she patted his head in a comforting gesture, "I was only out for a short time, and I'm here now so don't worry. I'm never leaving you."

Seeing her small bubbly friend acting this way made her heart clench painfully. But at the same time, it made her feel loved and cared for. She never wished for her friends to worry so much about her, but it made her heart swell with love for the guild.

"Natsu said you were really hurt," said Happy.

"It's in the past now," she reassured him, before lifting her gown, "it was only a scratch, see? It's going to disappear in no time!"

Happy nodded, eyes filled with tears, before wiping them and sniffing loudly. "I'm going to tell Natsu. Wait here Lucy! He's going to be very happy!"

"I don't have anywhere to go, doctor's orders," she laughed, thinking about Levy. But Happy was already out of the door, flying excitedly, with one goal on his mind.

-: :-

"She's awake?" repeated Natsu in disbelief.

"Yes she is! She's still a weirdo though," said Happy pensively. "Let's go see her! I already miss her."

"I…I can't," stuttered Natsu.

"What do you mean you can't? You haven't seen Lucy in a week! You didn't even visit her, you're going to make her sad," insisted Happy, tugging at his arm.

The thought of upsetting Lucy stopped him in his track; he would never able to handle seeing her sad because of him. He already failed at protecting her, but he was afraid that if he went to see her, she wouldn't want to be his friend anymore. After all, what kind of friend was he if he wasn't able to keep a promise as simple as protecting his nakama?

"Alright Happy, let's go."

-: :-

Lucy was sitting on her bed, surrounded by various guild members. This time around, there was no worry etched on their faces, only relief and happiness at seeing their friend awake and smiling. Lucy was also filled with joy, discussing animatedly with Ezra and Gray about the missions they accomplished in the last week, as they were trying to cope with her state.

"I hope you'll be up and on your feet soon, I can't wait for us to go on another mission as a team again," told her Gray. "Juvia dragging me on her missions was nothing but a pain in the ass."

"Be nice Gray," she scolded him, while Erza stared at him with a scary look on her face, "Juvia is a good girl, she just has a lot of trouble controlling her feelings for you. She means no harm."

"I wish she were more subtle about it," he muttered stubbornly, "I know she was just trying to cheer me up, but I don't like clingy people."

"I'm sure she'll understand if you speak to her," smiled Lucy.

As if she knew they were talking about her, Juvia popped up behind Gray, scaring the ice mage who jumped ten feet in the air.

"Is love rival flirting with my beloved? Lucy should use this time to rest not to try and capture Gray-sama's heart," she said, menacingly.

"For the thousandth time, I am not interested in Gray, Juvia. You don't need to worry about that, I am not your love rival!"

Juvia looked at Lucy's exasperated face suspiciously, before relaxing and smiling slightly, "then Juvia is glad, she is very happy that Lucy is back with us."

"I am too, Juvia," smiled Lucy.

At that moment, a certain orange haired spirit appeared by her side.

"Lucy, how happy I am to see you," he said, getting on one knee and holding her hand. "My heart almost broke at the thought of you leaving me, how I would have missed your exquisite beauty."

"Loke," hissed Lucy, removing her hand.

"Oh how you pain me," he exclaimed, holding his hand to his heart, "my love for you is real, it's pure!"

"Quit it Loke," said a blushing Lucy. "What are you doing here?"

Loke sobered up, "I came to see how you were doing. You gave us all a fright in the spirit world. You almost died, we could feel your magical energy disappear at an alarming rate. I was going to appear and help you, but Natsu reacted quickly, to our surprise."

"Yeah," smiled Lucy, looking at her hands on her lap, "he did. Where is he? It's strange, I thought he would be the first person I would see, but I haven't seen him since I woke up."

An uncomfortable silence suddenly filled the room, as everyone stared everywhere but at her. Their behaviour alarmed the celestial spirit mage, who grew worried.

"What is it? Did something happen to him after I passed out?"

Gray cleared his throat, "it's nothing like that. It's just that, well, no one has seen him for the past week."

"Why is that? Did he leave for a mission?"

"He didn't," answered Erza. "I checked with Mirajane, Natsu didn't take any mission in the past week. He just disappeared from the guild, along with Happy."

"But I saw Happy less than an hour ago," said Lucy. "He mentioned Natsu, he must be training or something."

The door suddenly burst open. A head covered with wild pink hair appeared, followed by the rest of Natsu's body. When he noticed Lucy sitting on the bed, smiling up at him with her lively brown eyes, he stopped in his track, momentarily taken by the sight. There was nothing more beautiful that he had seen in his entire life than Lucy at that moment, even if she were only dressed with a simple white gown and wrapped in bandages at various places. His breath hitched when her lips stretched into her familiar smile, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. His heart was beating so loudly that he swore he could hear it resonating in his ears.

"Natsu, I'm so happy to see you! I wanted to thank you-"

Before Lucy could finish her sentence, an overwhelmed Natsu had turned around and sprinted out of the door, leaving the occupants of the room shocked and surprised by his strange behaviour.

"-for saving me," finished Lucy lamely.

-: :-

Natsu did not stop running until he found himself at her house again, without even realizing that his legs had taken him there. He was so used to taking this route that it became automatic to him to sneak into her house through the window. When he entered her room, he sat down on the bed, his head between his hands, staring at the ground in contemplation. He didn't know what he was thinking, reacting that way, but the sight of her made him panic. He had never acknowledged the way he felt about Lucy until he was forced to when she almost slipped through his fingers a week before, and her almost miraculous come-back ignited a flame in him that he thought he was able to extinguish forever if he simply pushed his feelings to a deep corner within his heart.

"I can't think this way about someone I can't protect," he muttered to himself. "I don't deserve Lucy."

Natsu had always thought that Lucy was the most amazing person he knew. She was courageous, beautiful, and frighteningly smart. She was the kindest soul, and more importantly, she was fiercely loyal to her nakama, never hesitating to lend a hand to anyone in need. He knew that behind her bossy nature was a caring heart. He was nothing compared to that. He was loud, obnoxious, and he always picked fights with everyone at the guild. He destroyed everything during their missions, and she was always scolding him for making her spend her reward money on the damage he had caused. Lucy was amazing, and despite him not being as dense as others thought he was, he was still a complete idiot when it came to her. His fire didn't make him strong if he weren't able to keep her away from any harm.

He shook his disturbing thoughts away, and just laid back on her bed. Unable to settle the turmoil in his heart, he slowly drifted to sleep.

-: :-

"I'm sorry Lucy, but Natsu went on a solo mission," replied Mira, taking out a book. "It says here that the mission should take around twelve days. He left three days ago, he should be back with Happy in a bit more than a week if he doesn't destroy everything there."

"Oh, thank you Mira," said a disappointed Lucy. Why would Natsu leave without her? She was his teammate after all. Did he really think that she was that weak?

Mira's gaze softened, "don't worry Lucy, I'm sure Natsu has a good reason for reacting that way."

"I don't know Mira, I haven't seen him since I woke up. I think he's purposely avoiding me for some stupid reason," angrily replied Lucy, sitting on the seat in front of the bar, and wincing slightly at the tenderness at her side.

"Here," Mira said, giving her a glass of cold water, "drink this, it should calm you down."

Lucy gulped down the water in one swift motion, thanking the white haired woman. Gajeel, who was on the other side of the guild munching on a piece of metal, heard their conversation with the help of his enhanced hearing, and approached the two women, taking a seat by Lucy's side.

"Gajeel?" she questioned him when she noticed his presence.

"Bunny girl," he acknowledged her. "Flame brain was at your house the whole week you were out."

"What?" she exclaimed in surprise. "What makes you think he was?"

"I don't think he was," he said, glaring at her. "I know he was. I could detect his scent every time I passed by your apartment. He didn't leave it once."

"He was probably there for the food," she snorted. "Happy and Natsu always raid my fridge."

Gajeel looked at her in exasperation, wondering how he could push a dense girl like her and an idiot like him to reveal their feelings to each other. Friendship was really not made for him.

"What I mean is that he's worried about you, and that you should talk to him when he comes back."

"I think he's angry at me," she mumbled, "I believe he's upset because I wasn't strong enough to protect myself."

Gajeel scowled, "you're both _fucking_ stupid. Trust me, all you need is an honest conversation with him."

Deciding that faith should run its course, Gajeel got up from the seat, patting her on the head like he usually did to Levy, and proceeded to walk towards the blue haired woman, leaving a bewildered celestial mage sitting there and staring at his retreating back. When she looked at Mira questionably, Mira simply smiled, as if she knew something Lucy didn't, and resumed what she was doing. Lucy muttered to herself, resting her head on the counter in defeat, and crawling back inside her thoughts.

-: :-

A week later, Natsu had come back from his mission, surprisingly early. Lucy learned from Gray that Natsu had told him that he was so focused on the mission that he finished it with extreme efficiency. This type of behaviour surprised Lucy, who knew the pink haired man to be rash and uncaring when it came to missions, never taking anything seriously.

Lucy waited patiently for him to talk to her, and explain what his problem was. She waited in her apartment, expecting him to sneak in without her permission, but he failed to do so, even when she hinted at Mira to let it slip that she was making his favourite dish.

Getting frustrated, she went to the guild to wait for him and confront him. Sitting down at a table with Gray and Juvia, she kept an eye on the doors, expecting him to barge in at any moment, loudly announcing his arrival, which he didn't fail to do.

"Here's Natsu, hot headed as usual, that idiot," said Gray.

"Gray-sama is so much cooler," shouted Juvia dreamily.

"This is my chance," mumbled Lucy, seeing that he hadn't noticed her yet, preferring to pick a fight with another guild member.

When she made her way towards him, he was screaming at Gajeel, who was taunting him with his snide remarks, trying to rile him up for a fight. Luckily, he had his back to her, and when she was close enough, Gajeel noticed her presence and smirked, leaving Natsu to scream into the void.

"Where are you going, you stupid metal head! Let's fight-"

Natsu was stopped in his tracks when a very familiar scent reached his nose, making his whole body shudder in both anticipation and excitement. When Lucy's hand landed on his shoulder, his body stiffed, and he turned around to come face to face with the woman he was starting to see in a completely different light.

"Natsu, finally. I haven't seen you in more than two weeks. Where were you?" she said, looking at him with worry.

"Ah, Lucy," he stuttered out, his heart almost leaping out of his chest. He was avoiding her because he thought that is he didn't see her, he would stop thinking about her in a _more-than-friends_ way, but it obviously had the complete opposite effect. He had never wanted her more than in that moment, where both worry and anger showed graced her traits. Her obvious frustration with him was what reminded him of his inability to keep her out of danger's way, and his face suddenly darkened. "I have to go."

Just when Lucy was about to open her mouth, Natsu was already out of the guild, and Lucy was left behind, standing there while various members who were staring at the scene returned to their activities. A few people who knew about the issue between the two teammates looked at her with worry.

"Do you want me to knock some sense into him?" asked Gray, who was now standing behind her.

"No," said Lucy, getting angry, "I'll do it myself."

-: :-

Lucy stopped looking for Natsu and asking people about him in order to surprise him by cornering him at the place where he would be forced to speak to her: his house. Now that he was ignoring her, he had no choice but to sleep there, since he avoided her and her apartment like the plague. She had to admit that it was getting lonely without him, even though Happy constantly dropped by to spend time with her. She almost missed waking up and finding him in her bed, sleeping soundly next to her. She wasn't going to admit it, but waking up next to a man gifted with a glorious body was not a bad thing, especially when it left her having the dirtiest thoughts.

She showed up at his house before it was dark outside, and waited for him, knowing that he was going home soon to sleep. Happy was not there, and she made sure of it by convincing Wendy to keep him with her and Carla for the night, knowing that the blue cat would never refuse the offer to spend time with the exceed that stole his heart.

His house was in its usual mess, objects thrown around and clothes littering the place. Against her will, she decided to clean his house, disgusted by such a sight, and refusing to spend one more minute in such disorder.

After a few hours, she cleaned her hands and opened the windows, allowing some fresh air to enter the house. She then laid on his hammock, a leg dangling from it, and proceeded to stare at the ceiling, her thoughts plagued by her pink haired teammate.

-: :-

When Natsu opened the door to his house, he was certain that he caught a whiff of Lucy's scent. But he had been thinking about her so much lately that he was sure it was a product of his imagination, which was only trying to torture him. He lazily made his way inside, taking notice of how tidy it was. His brows furrowed and he stopped to look around, knowing that this was not the state he left his house in.

"Natsu."

Looking up, his gaze met Lucy's, who was standing a few feet away from him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Lucy," he stammered. It was all he seemed to do in front of her, he was at loss of words. "What are you doing here?"

"You know damn well what I'm doing here," she hissed, making him wince.

"Listen Lucy, it's not the time to-"

Lucy was suddenly right in front of him, staring angrily into his eyes, tears threatening to spill. "Two weeks Natsu, you've ignored me for two weeks! When will be the time then, tell me? I thought we were teammates, I thought we were nakama!"

Seeing the hurt in her eyes, his voice softened. "Of course we are."

Lucy put a hand on his chest, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Tell me what's wrong, tell me what _I_ did wrong, how can I fix this?"

"You didn't do anything, there's nothing to fix."

"Dammit Natsu," she snapped, hitting him on his chest, "I can't take it anymore. Are you angry at me?"

"I would never be angry at you," he muttered softly, his resolve breaking. He was never able to resist her. "It's what happened then, I can't stop thinking about it."

Natsu turned around, unable to look at her in his vulnerable state. Lucy came to a realization; she was right after all, he was angry at her weakness. Clutching a hand to her chest, she started crying, alerting the dragon slayer with the salty scent of her tears.

"Is it because you think I'm weak? That I wasn't strong enough to protect myself?" said Lucy, obviously hurt. "I know I'm not the strongest, and that I'm not the best addition to a team as strong as ours, but-"

"You're not weak Lucy, I'm the weak one here, I wasn't able to protect you!" he snapped, turning around and staring angrily at her. "I could never be mad at you, I'm mad at myself!"

"Natsu-"

"What kind of friend am I? I couldn't even protect the most precious person to me!"

"It's not-"

"When I was burning into your flesh, hearing your screams was like torture to me! I failed to protect you, and I hurt you even more! How do you think I felt when you almost died in my arms? I've seen you die once, Lucy, and I thought it was the hardest thing I would ever witness. But I was wrong! I was very wrong…" he ended in a whisper, crying openly.

She now understood, looking at the strongest mage she ever knew pour his heart out to her. Natsu would never think of her as useless or weak, he had too much respect for her. After all, he was the one who brought her to the guild to become his teammate. He was simply scared of losing her like he had lost so many people in his life.

Smiling sadly at her stupidity, she approached him, cradling his wet face in her hands, and pulling him down to her level to bring his forehead to hers.

"Natsu, what are you talking about? You saved my life! I'll forever be grateful for that," she said, staring tenderly into his eyes. "If you weren't there, I wouldn't be here today, smiling again and laughing with you guys. It's true, what you did back then was agonizing, I even remember passing out from the pain, but it wasn't nearly as hurtful as you ignoring me these past few weeks."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, closing his eyes and leaning into her touch.

"The scar that was left on my body is only going to remind me of how I escaped death, and that was all because of you, _my dragon_."

His arms circled her waist, pulling her body to his, and his head rested on her shoulder. His whole body was shaking at the intensity of his sobs, and each one of them was like another sword piercing her heart. She held him tightly, one hand clutching his shirt, and another grabbing his hair in a comforting manner. Finally holding her in his arms, Natsu came to the culminating thought of three weeks of reflection: the realization that he would never let her go, and that he would do anything for this amazing woman.

When Natsu stopped shaking, he still held her in his arms, her scent overwhelming him. When he let go of her, she stared at his face, and smiled tenderly at him, a hand on his cheek. He had changed so much in the years she had known him. Even though he still had his moments, he went from an immature and rash teenager, to a slightly more mature but just as loving young man who still cared deeply about his friends, and made her heart beat faster than ever. Unknowingly to her, Natsu was thinking the same. Lucy never ceased to amaze him, whether it was with her empathy and understanding, or with her loving actions, just like the way she was holding him a few moments earlier. Despite the years passing by, she would always be his good old Lucy with the bright smile, and even with the tendency to complain and get angry at him.

"Marry me," he blurted out, before he could stop himself.

"What?" replied a stunned Lucy, her hand dropping from his cheek to his chest. She was thankful that he now wore normal clothes that did not show his body as much as he used to, or she would have combusted right there in front of him. She could feel his heart going from a normal rhythm to beating erratically as panic started taking over him, almost as if it was going to burst out of his chest. She could also feel hers, and she was certain that it was beating just as fast, if not faster.

Natsu's cheeks reddened, and he tried to hide his face behind his scarf. He was so lost in the warm brown pools of her eyes that his brain could not stop his thought process from leaving his mouth. But he would be damned if he took it back, because he had never been more certain about something in his life.

"Marry me, Luce," he repeated, shyly. "I know people usually start by dating, but we've known each other for years now, and I'm desperately in love with you. We can afford to skip some steps, I think, I want you to be mine."

Lucy lightly laughed at how ridiculous the situation was. This proposal was so Natsu, passionate and in the spur of the moment, and she wouldn't have it any other way. She had missed him so much.

Her laughter made Natsu nervous, and he started fidgeting in his spot.

"I mean, if you want to, of course," he started to ramble, suddenly uncertain, "only if you're in love with me too. I would never force you to do anything you don't want to, I respect you too much. We can start by dating first if you want, but I thought we were getting a bit old, and I want to make up for lost time-"

Lucy hit him lightly in the arm, scowling at him. "I'm not old, you dumbass. I'm not even twenty-three. Between us, you're the one who's a few centuries older!"

"I'm sorry Lucy," he chuckled embarrassingly, rubbing the back of his neck. "If you don't want us to be that way, we can go back to being fri-"

"Yes," she cut him off, her heart almost leaping out of her chest.

"Yes what?" he questioned her, feeling his heart breaking, "you want to go back to being friends?"

"I'll marry you," she giggled, blushing profusely, "I want to be yours, but only if you're mine, because I'm desperately in love with you too."

He beamed at her with undisguised happiness, a grin stretching from ear to ear, and he almost punched the air around him, stopping in time when he realized how embarrassing that would be. He brought her to his chest, hugging her tightly as she let out a shriek at the sudden movement. He was laughing in her hair, tears of happiness leaving his eyes, and her face was buried in his chest, a similar grin to his on her face.

"Does it mean I can kiss you now? I've wanted to do that for a long time," he said.

Lucy feigned being indignant, looking up at him with furrowed eyebrows, "what are you talking about? Of course you can't. People can't kiss unless they've been married for at least five years."

"But," started Natsu, bewildered, "Mira has been married for two months, and she had a kid before her wedding. I think Laxus did more than kiss her, and that was before they got married!"

Lucy blushed, imagining herself tangled with the dragon slayer between her sheets. "I was just kidding, you silly man. You don't need to be married to kiss someone or to have a kid. Of course you can kiss me."

Natsu smiled at her, and with passion she didn't expect from him for a first kiss, hoisted her up, her legs around his waist and her skirt hiking up around her thighs, and proceeded to take her breath away.

When his lips met hers, her arms automatically went around his neck, and her face tilted to the side, giving him more access to her mouth. She felt fire, burning fire all over her body, heightening her senses. His lips were hot and soft, moving clumsily against hers. But when she responded just as eagerly, all doubt left him, and he kissed her more fiercely, breathing through his nose. Her lips were a drug, and he was already addicted to how alive pressing his lips to hers made him feel.

When their mouths separated, both desperate for air, she looked at him through half-lidded eyes, and joined their lips once again. He felt her tongue tracing his lower lip, demanding access to his mouth, and he groaned into her, pushing her against the nearest wall. Their tongues explored each other's mouth, taking in the taste of each other, and laughing when their teeth bumped. Lucy felt like she was going to melt into the wall behind her. His kisses were dizzying, and she felt like she was on cloud nine.

"Let's get married," she muttered against his mouth.

"I already asked you, you can't ask me again," he replied.

She chuckled, "I meant now. Let's get out of here and get married now so that I can have my way with you tonight."

Natsu stopped kissing her, staring intensely at her face, when he suddenly grinned teasingly. "We don't need to be married to do that, there's a perfectly good bed right here."

"You idiot," she hit him, "I'm not going to do that on a hammock, I'm going to be sore in the morning!"

Natsu untangled her legs from around him, putting her on her feet and holding her in his arms, which she was thankful for. Her wobbly legs were not going to be able to keep her standing up. "You're going to be sore anyway if you spend a night with me," he said, huskily. It was a different side to him that Lucy would have to get to know better, and it made her feel all the more giddy inside.

She bit her lip, tugging at his hand, and made her way towards the exit to walk out of the house, with her newly acquired short-term fiancé on her trail.

"Mira is going to be so upset that we eloped."

-: :-

When the giggling couple stumbled through Lucy's apartment's door, Natsu almost tripped on a book that had mysteriously found its way in the middle of the dining room's floor. He didn't pay much attention to it, as his full focus was on the woman holding his hand. He was a bit upset at the lack of a ring around her finger, but he made a mental note to get one as soon as he could.

"You didn't really think this through, I don't even have a ring," scolded him Lucy, as if she read his mind.

"And yet, you decided to marry me," he chuckled, making his way towards her bedroom.

"I was never going to say no," she whispered, kissing him.

When he was in front of her bed, Lucy pushed him so that he was leaning back on his elbows, and proceeded to take off her shirt and her skirt. She straddled him, latching her mouth to his.

"I'm never going to say that you don't have any sex appeal ever again," he said, staring down at her underwear-clad body between kisses.

"Help me take this off," she said, eagerly tugging at his shirt.

He sat up, taking Lucy with him, and removed the offensive garment to throw it on the side, and resumed his actions by connecting his mouth to Lucy's throat, causing her to sigh in content. His hand was fiddling with the clasp of her bra, but she wouldn't have it, as she thought that he was way too dressed up for her liking.

"Natsu," she moaned, "pants off, now."

"As you wish," he replied with a grin.

Untangling herself from his embrace, she laid back on the bed while he stood at the end of it, unbuckling his belt and taking his pants off. Lucy stared at him, licking her lips in anticipation. His body was perfect, muscular and bulky due to the endless hours of training and the missions they went on. His pants joined the rest of their clothes, and Natsu joined her once again on the bed, laying over her body and claiming her mouth with his. Her nails raked down his chest, leaving goosebumps in their trail, and Lucy felt Natsu shudder in pleasure when one of her nails caught a nipple on its way down. When his mouth sucked on her clavicle in an especially delicious manner, her nails almost tore at the skin at his sides, and a throaty moan left her lips. Natsu groaned into her chest, trailing his lips down and sucking at the skin at the top of her breasts. He groped them through the flimsy underwear, enjoying the way she was arching against his palms. She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, removing it and throwing it on the side without care, and he was welcomed with the sight of her heaving chest and perky nipple, deliciously pointing towards him. He licked his lips in anticipation, and grabbed her breasts once again, feeling the tips against his palms. He kneaded them for a few moments, intensely listening to the noises she made. They were delightful, and each one of them sent a jolt to his groin. When he released her breasts from his grip, he followed their movement with his piercing eyes, mesmerized by the way they bounced up and down.

"Your breasts are the best, Luce. They're so soft and bouncy."

"Natsu," she mumbled impatiently at his childish comment, "stop teasing."

He laughed and took a nipple in his mouth, smiling into her skin. He began by swirling a tongue around the erect tip and sucking greedily on it, while his other hand rolled the other one between his fingers. The sounds Lucy let out were like a melody to his ears, a melody that he wanted to hear in his every waking moment.

He felt Lucy's feet tugging at his own underwear, and felt them slipping down his thighs, releasing his pulsating member from its constraints. Lucy pushed him back, impatiently grabbing his erection.

"Already looking for the main action?" he asked with a sigh.

"You don't know how long I've pictured this," she answered, kissing him thoroughly.

She started to rub him up and down, kissing the groaning young man. She then bent down over his penis, staring curiously at it with an intensity that made Natsu both blush and laugh.

"Why are you staring at it like that?"

Lucy reddened, looking up at him, "well, it's a bit strange. I've never seen one from up close before, especially not in an erect state, if you ignore every time Gray undressed in front of me. His flaccid member was not as appealing as this-"

"Lucy!" he groaned in frustration, feeling himself softening slightly. "Why would you mention Gray when you have my dick in your hand? You just killed the mood!"

She laughed, kissing the tip of him, waking up his little dragon, which Lucy would argue wasn't little at all, but far from it. "I can't believe your hair is pink down here as well."

"It's salmon," he whined, "and why wouldn't it be the same? It's my natural colour."

She giggled at him, giving him a playful slap on his thigh. She then simply stared at the member in her hand, unsure of what to do.

"Lucy?" he asked.

"I don't know what to do now," she admitted. "I've read some scenes in Erza's novels, but I don't know what you like."

"Trust me," he started, "I'm a guy who happens to be about to have sex with the woman he'd been dreaming of being with for years. Anything you do is going to send me through the roof."

In that moment, Lucy's eyes started to well up with unshed tears, as she stared at Natsu with a look of pure adoration.

"Lucy?" he said, alarmed, "please don't cry, I'm so sorry."

"You idiot," she babbled, his dick still in her hand, "I never knew you had such a way with words."

"It's okay Luce, you don't have to do this," he quickly added when she started openly crying.

"No," she stubbornly said, wiping her eyes, "I want to do this."

Noticing the determined look on her face, Natsu thought for a second that she was surely going to rip his penis off. But when her soft mouth enveloped the tip, he choked on his words and let out the deepest groan Lucy had ever heard. Remembering what she had read and the vivid descriptions a drunk Cana had given her, she bobbed her head up and down, palming his balls and swirling her tongue on the tip of the head. Natsu thought that he was seeing stars. Surely Lucy had send him through one of those portals of hers, and he was in the celestial realm, flying among these small shiny rocks floating above the atmosphere.

"Lucy," he groaned, his hips jerking, "if you don't stop, I'm going to-"

Lucy hummed around him, and before he knew it, he was releasing himself inside her mouth, a swear leaving his lips. When he came down from his high, he was looking at Lucy as if it were the first time he'd ever seen her, and all Lucy could think was to thank Cana later for the advice that made Natsu look at her with such adoration in his eyes.

"Lucy, you're amazing. I think I just fell in love with you all over again," he mumbled in a haze, "if we hadn't gotten married earlier, I would have asked for your hand right now."

Lucy climbed on his lap and settled on his hips. She held his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, grinding her core against his awakening erection. When he couldn't take it anymore, he rolled them around so that he was on top, mesmerized by the way her hair moved around her head. He wanted to feel _more_ of her against him, so he tugged at the lacy panties she was wearing, sliding them down her legs until they were off her body. His fingers found her folds, and he pressed forcefully on the top, unsure of where to start.

"Natsu," she complained, "too much pressure. Be gentler."

Natsu let out a quick apology, and watched her as she took his hand in his, and showed him how to stroke her slowly between pants. When she released his hand, he latched his mouth to her throat, and focused his attention on the little bud that seemed to make her jerk her hips more, rubbing it continuously. Staring at her face, he was satisfied with his performance, as her eyes were closed, and her lips were parted in a throaty moan.

"You like this?" he whispered.

Lucy opened her eyes, and blushed at his stare, before shyly nodding at him, tugging at her lower lip. Natsu smirked mischievously, and his body left hers, causing her to slightly whine. Before she could look up and see what he was planning, he grabbed her hips and dragged her to the edge of the bed, standing in front of it in all his naked glory under her appreciative eyes. He grabbed her left foot and kissed her ankle, before dragging his tongue up the length of her leg, all the while keeping his eyes connected to hers with a heated stare. When his mouth got to her knee and he had to crouch to reach it, he got on his knees on the ground to be at the level of her core. He grabbed her thighs and set them on either side of his head, kissing the tender skin at the sides. When he sucked at it, she almost started complaining about the marks it would surely leave on her when she felt his face between her legs, lapping greedily at her cunt. All she could do was lay her head back on the bed and arch her back, grabbing the white sheets on the bed.

"Just like that," she moaned when he sucked on her clit. "Oh, yes, keep going."

Natsu bit her lower lips, causing her to slightly wince at the pain, but she liked it, she really _really_ liked this kind of pain. When his mouth left her, his fingers trailed down her slit, collecting the wetness it found there. He entered a finger inside of her, marveling at the softness of her walls, and his dick twitched at the prospect of being surrounded by such warmth. He pumped his finger inside a few times, when she whispered _more_ between pants, and he could only comply by adding another one and moving them around, trying to find what would make the blonde woman unravel under his touch. When he touched the top part of her walls, her hips jerked and she retreated back from his fingers, grabbing at his hair, and a loud gasp left her mouth. The pink haired man smirked, holding her down with his other hand and curling his fingers inside. Her breath quickened, and he knew she was close. He added his mouth, his tongue caressing her clit repeatedly, before harshly sucking on it. A cry left her mouth, and that's when, without warning, she came on his fingers. A cocky Natsu kept pumping her and sucking her through her orgasm, overstimulating the blonde woman whose legs shook violently on his shoulders, until she couldn't take it anymore and pushed his head away with incredible force.

He retaliated, standing up from his position with a proud smile on his face, joining her on the bed and licking his wet fingers on the way.

"You taste bitter, Luce," he commented, resting his head on her thighs to allow her to calm down.

"You shouldn't be one to complain," she answered between breaths. "I swallowed all your semen, and let me tell you, it didn't taste like candy."

He laughed at her comment, removing his head from its comfortable position, and started kissing up her body, memorizing every curve and every freckle and scar there was. He stopped when he reached her lower abdomen, when a newer and fresher scar was. It was pink, and noticeable enough if you stared at it for a few seconds. The area around it had a slightly darker brown colour, making it seem like a birthmark, and he knew it was due to his fire. His heart clenched, remembering that he was really close to losing her, but kissed it nonetheless under Lucy's tender gaze.

When he reached her mouth again, he kissed her deeply, taking in the taste of him mingled with hers. She wrapped her legs around him, and ground her hips onto his, rubbing his erection against her center.

"I'm ready Natsu," she moaned.

Grabbing his shaft, he guided it towards her entrance, and proceeded to rub its length against her folds, stroking her clit with the tip. She sighed in content, before giving him a pointed look that he returned with an apologetic smile. He went in, entering her slowly, and watching her face for any sign of discomfort. He had hurt her enough, and he did not want to hurt her any more. When she bit her lip in pleasure at the feeling of being filled up and stretched by the man she loved, she kissed him slowly, and his eyebrows furrowed in incomprehension.

"I don't get it, I thought it was supposed to hurt the first time," he said, stopping momentarily.

"Not all women are the same Natsu, for some it will, for other it won't. I'm thankful enough that it didn't for me, I think you got me wet enough," she smiled slyly at him, making him blush. "Erza told me that her first time was very painful-"

"Lucy," whined Natsu. "If you keep doing this I'm going to have to divorce you!"

She laughed at him, making his penis seep in further inside her, and making them both groan at the sensation. "Alright, I'll stop mentioning our teammates while we're having sex. Now if you don't fuck me right at this instant, I'm going to have to fuck you."

Natsu gazed at her tenderly, before penetrating her to the hilt. He stayed like that for a moment, trying not to cum like a fifteen year old boy, when she started rolling her hips against his. He started moving in and out, slowly at first, watching her reaction to see what she liked. When he completely removed himself, and entered her again with more strength in his movement, she gasped.

"That was delightful," she groaned. "Do it again."

He repeated the movement, going faster, and was pleased when he was rewarded by her moaning, and her muttering incomprehensibly to herself.

"I want to be on top, Natsu."

He stopped his thrusting and maneuvered them around, trying to keep them attached to each other, and positioned her on his lap. She placed her hands on his chest, biting her lip in concentration, and stared down at the place where they were intimately connected. His gaze went to the same spot, staring at the way his member disappeared inside her, and smiled wryly when their gazes met, with red adorning their cheeks.

"You never thought I'd be buried deep inside you earlier this morning did you?" he said, teasing her.

Lucy playfully slapped his chest, proceeding to roll her hips against his clumsily, trying to find a rhythm that would satisfy her and reward her with the most pleasure. When her clit rubbed deliciously against his pubic bone, she gasped in surprise, and rolled her hips in the same manner, moaning loudly along with Natsu, who gripped her ass firmly in his hands.

Natsu was simply staring at the magnificent creature moving above him, wondering what he did to deserve such a treatment from her. Her breasts were bouncing lightly, and her blonde hair was framing her face like a halo, curling at the top of her breasts. Her lips were spread in a silent moan, and her eyes were tightly shut. He was still in disbelief at the fact that they were married now. She had said yes, and he hadn't even planned on asking her to go out with him, let alone be his wife. He promised himself that he would buy her the best ring he could find.

Lucy opened her eyes and noticed the way Natsu was staring at her, reddening until her blush reached the top of her chest, almost competing with the colour of the various marks Natsu left on her neck and upper chest. Lucy contemplated her lover's appearance as well. His pink hair was messier than usual, giving him a ruffled appearance, and a blush was adorning his cheek, due to the pleasure he was feeling and due to the exercise. His lips were tightly pressed together, a fang digging into his lower lip, and his dark eyes were half-lidded, staring intensely at her. His chest was covered by a thin layer of sweat, and his delicious muscles were contracting under her hands. Her favourite were his biceps. They were bulky and strong, and she always used to stare at them, imagining his arms sweeping her off her feet. Just looking at him, she almost finished right there and then.

After a few moments, she threw her head back, cursing under her breath, while her body tightened around his. Natsu didn't know how he managed not to burst, but he was glad, because the sight of her coming undone above him and muttering his name between curses was an image he wanted to cherish forever and burn in his brain. She fell onto his chest, her arms around him, and continued to move above him, letting out a small whimper from time to time against his neck. He kissed her hair slightly, feeling the familiar tightening in his balls, and released himself inside of her with a groan that could rival a real dragon's. On his list of the best moments of his life, cumming inside Lucy was the second top best, right after when they signed the papers, uniting them forever. _If she wants me forever, of course,_ he thought to himself.

Lucy laid on his chest in post-euphoric bliss, playing with the hairs at the nape of his neck, and humming softly to herself in content. Her day had changed drastically, along with her relationship with the dragon slayer. It's not every day anyone went from being ignored for two weeks to marrying the said idiot who ignored her for two weeks.

Feeling him softening inside her, she started to move when he stopped her, complaining that he liked the feel of her around him.

"Fine, but only for a few minutes. You know vaginas are acidic, and it's probably going to irritate you down there if we stay like this for too long."

Natsu visibly blanched, taking himself out of her while she rolled on her back, laughing. He put his head against her chest, marveling at the soft feeling of her breasts under his head. They were like a pillow, a soft squishy pillow that he wanted to sleep on forever.

"Let's go on a date tomorrow," he proposed, his lips moving against her skin.

"Alright," she answered, chuckling. It resonated in his ear, lulling him to sleep. "Only we would start by getting married, having sex, and then going on a date. You always have to do things your way, don't you?"

"Would I be me if I didn't?" he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows at her. He had a fair point, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Positioning herself comfortably, she closed her eyes, and drifted to sleep, exhausted. She vaguely heard Natsu tell her that he loved her, and remembered replying back to him, before darkness engulfed her.

-: :-

Walking hand in hand, a permanent smile was stretched upon Lucy's face, as she marveled at the feeling of her newly acquired ring. Natsu had dragged her out as soon as she woke up, but not before carrying her to her bathroom to have his way with her in the shower. It was an experience she would have to be careful about in the future, as she slipped and almost cracked her head open, had Natsu not been there to catch her in time.

The ring was simple, and yet classy. She instantly fell in love with it when she saw the little pink diamond on top, reminding her of her pink haired husband.

 _Husband_ , she thought. She kept saying it to herself that morning while looking in the mirror, a blush covering her cheeks, as she was applying make up on the red marks scattered on her neck and _other areas_. For the first time in ages, she had to wear something that covered her chest, as that part of her body was definitely worse than her neck. But to her husband's defense, his neck and chest were not any better. He still refused to let her cover them up, stating that he would proudly show off any mark she left on him, and making her swoon by the same means.

When they arrived to the guild, they went their separate ways, as Natsu decide that he wanted to fight Gray, and Lucy desperately wanted a good smoothie.

"Hi Mira, I'm going to take a strawberry and banana smoothie please," she said, sitting down.

"On it, Lucy," smiled back the white haired mage.

When the cup was put in front of her, she did not notice Mira's bewildered expression when she saw the ring on her finger. She took a sip, humming at the cold feel of the drink coating her tongue, and let her gaze sweep over Natsu's form, reminding her of the way it was moving against hers the previous night.

"Oh, that's a beautiful ring Lucy. Did you buy it today?" asked Mira.

"You could say that," chuckled Lucy, relishing her ignorance.

"Why do you put it on that finger? You know what it means to have a ring there. Did you elope with someone?" pondered Mira with amusement.

"Bunny girl knows perfectly what it means," said a voice behind her. Gajeel lifted an eyebrow, sniffing the air. "I see you guys went at it like rabbits last night, his scent's all over you."

Lucy blushed from head to toe, fiddling with her fingers, while Mira stared at her with a shocked face.

"What is he talking about, Lucy?"

"Well, you see-" she started, but an arm suddenly circled her waist, and she was yanked from her seat into Natsu's arms.

"Lucy and I got married last night," he said, proudly. A stunned silence filled the room, the only sound that could be heard was the clattering of Erza's plate hitting the floor, along with the cake sitting on top of it.

"No fucking way," muttered Gray, standing behind Natsu. "You've got more balls than I thought."

"I'm sure bunny girl here can tell us all how much balls he has," laughed Gajeel, looking at the marks on Natsu's neck, when Levy hit him on the head, before focusing her attention on her friend.

"I'm so happy for you Lucy, this is great news, but I'm upset you didn't tell me earlier," scowled the script mage.

"It was kind of spontaneous," said Lucy, blushing inside her husband's arms. "He asked me yesterday, and we got married less than an hour after he proposed."

Listening to this, Mira thought that her heart would burst from her chest, and that her brain was going to fry. Her favourite couple was finally together, and she didn't have to do anything to finally make it happen. They had eloped on their own will. All those years of efforts weren't in vain after all. She knew that there two were meant to be together.

"Well," she simply smiled at the couple, "I guess we have a wedding to plan then, since you decided to get married without letting _me_ know."

The room erupted into cheers, and Natsu kissed Lucy, clutching her to his chest, and smiling against her mouth.

Maybe the two of them weren't _that_ dense after all...


End file.
